The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-09-08
KEEPING A DIARY.
Advantages Calculated to Result from
Recording Daily Events.

Advantages Calculated to Result from
Recording Daily Events.
Many people regard the keeping Of a
diary as a meritorious occupation. The
young are urged to take up this cross;
it is supposed to benefit girls especially.
Whether women should do it is to some
minds not an open question, although
there is on record the case of the
Frenchman who tried to shoot h. nself
when he heard that his wife was keep
ing diary. This intention of suicide
may have arisen from the fear that his
wife was keeping a record of his own
peccadilloes rather than of her own
thoughts and emotions. Or it may
have been from the fear that she was
putting down those little coniugal
remarks which the husband always
dislikes to have thrown up to him, and
which q woman can usually quote
accurately, it may be for years. it may
be forever, without the help of diary.
So we can appreciate without approx
ing the terror of the Frenchman at
living on and on in the same house with
a growing diary. For it is not simply
that this little book of judgement is
there in black and white, but that the
maker of it is increasing her power of
minute observation and analytic express
sion. In discussing the question
whether woman should keep a diary
it is understood that it is not a mere
memorandum of events and engage
ments, such as both men and women
of business and affairs necessarily keep,
but the daily record which sets down
feelings, emotions and impressions and
criticiSeS people and records opinions.
But this is a question that applies to
men as well as to women,
1t has been assumed that the diary
serves two good purposes: it is dis
| ciplinary exercise for the keeper of it
and perha IS mo"al guide; and it has
great historical value. As to the first,
it may be helpful to order, method,
discipline and it may be an indulgence
criticism and conceit. The habit of say
ing right ont what you think of every
body is not a good one and the record
of such opinions and impressions, while
it is not SO mischievous to the public as
talking may be. is harmful to the re-
order. And when we come to the
historical value of the diary, we confess
20 a growing suspicion of it. 1t is such
deadly weapon when it comes to light
after the passage of years, 1t has an
authority which the spoken words of
its keeper never had. 1t is ex parte
and it can not be croSs-eXamined. The
suppOsition is that being contemporaries
Gus with the events spoken of, it must
be true and that it is an honest record.
Now, as a matter of fact, we doubt if
people are any more honest as to
themselves or others in n diary than
out of it; and rumors, reported facts
and impressions set down daily in the
heat and haste of the prejudical hour
are about as likely to be wrong as right
Two diaries of the same event rarely
agree. Aud in turning over an old
diary we never know what to allow for
the personal equation. The diary is
greatly relied on by the writers Of his
tory, but the Drawer doubts if there is
any such liar in the world, even when
the keeper of it is honest. 1t is certain
to be partisan and more liable to be
misinformed than newspaper, which
exercises some care in view of imme-
diate publicity. The writer happens
to know Of two diaries which record, on
the testimony of eye witnesses, the cir
cumstances of the last hours of Garfield,
and they differ utterly in essential par
ticulars. One of these may turn up
fifty years from now and be accepted
as true. An infinite amount of gossip !
goes into diaries about men and women
that would not stand the test Of a |
moments contemporary publication.
But by and b. it may all be used to
smirch or brighten unjustly some ones
character. Suppose man in the Army
OF the Potomac had recorded daily ali !
his opinions of men and events. Read !
ing it over now, with more light and q
juster knowledge of character and OF
measures, is it not probable that he
would find it tissue of misconceptions!
Few things are actually what they seem
today; they are colored both by mis-.
apprehensions and by moods. If man
writes letter or makes report of an
occurrence for immediate publication.
subject to universal criticism, there il
some restraint on him. In his private
letters, or diary especially, he is apt te
set down what comes into his head al
the moment, often without much effort
at veriication.-H Magazine.
ARSENiCAL POISONS.